Harry Potter's Ralph Fiennes reveals why he almost turned down Voldemort role

It turns out we almost never saw Ralph Fiennes play Voldemort, as the actor has admitted he nearly turned down the role of Harry Potter's nemesis.

The star made his first appearance as He Who Must Not Be Named in 2005's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, going on to play him until the end of the series.

However, during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show this Saturday (March 16), the actor opens up about why he almost passed on playing the iconic villain.

Warner Bros.

"The truth is I was actually ignorant about the films and the books," Fiennes says. "I was approached by the production. Mike Newell was directing the film that they wanted me to be in… the first time Voldemort was going to appear physically.

"Out of ignorance I just sort of thought, this isn’t for me… Quite stupidly I resisted, I was hesitant. I think the clincher was that my sister Martha – who has three children who were then probably about 12, 10 and 8 – she said, 'What do you mean? You’ve got to do it!' So then I rewound my thinking."

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